This invention relates to a training device for exercising a user's abdominal muscles. In particular, it relates to such a device which enables the user to exercise in a standing position.
Known fitness equipment for training a user's abdominal muscles generally operates with the user in a supine body position. However, for users lacking mobility, such as those who are disabled, obese or elderly, it can be difficult comfortably to adopt the supine position, and even more difficult to return to a standing position afterwards. As a result, those users who are likely to benefit most from abdominal muscle training can find themselves excluded from performing such exercise.
Abdominal muscle training devices operable with the user in a seated position have also been proposed, but these too are not without their shortcomings. In particular, effective training of the abdominal muscles requires the performance of a range of different dynamic movements, working against an applied resistive load, and such a range of movements cannot practicably be achieved in either a seated or supine position.
Furthermore, in order to optimise the efficiency of muscle training, it is highly desirable that the training exercises performed should be specific to the task being trained for, and thus target the appropriate muscle groups. Most physically demanding tasks, whether occurring on the sports field or in everyday activities, are performed in an upright, standing position rather than in the supine or seated postures employed by known abdominal muscle training devices. The specificity and efficiency of muscle training exercises performed utilising such devices is therefore compromised.